WASHINGTON, DC- After decades of disappointing wage growth for many American workers, a new report from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) shows that unionization significantly boosts the wages of service-sector workers.

On average, unionization increases the likelihood that the average service-sector worker will have employer provided health insurance by 19 percentage points. Unionized service-sector workers were also 25 percentage points more likely to have a pension than their non-union peers.

"The vast majority of jobs in this country are now in the service sector," said John Schmitt, a Senior Economist at CEPR and the author of the study. "The data show that workers in service jobs benefit as much from unionization as workers in manufacturing do."

The impact of unions on service-sector employees in low-wage occupations was even more substantial. For workers in the 15 lowest-paying occupations, unionization raised wages by 15.5 percent. The likelihood of having health insurance increased by about 26 percentage points and the likelihood of having an employer-sponsored pension increased by about 23 percentage points.

"Unions give the biggest boost to workers in low-paying occupations because these are the workers that have the least bargaining power in the labor market," Schmitt said. "Unionization can turn what would otherwise be low-paying jobs with no benefits into middle-class jobs."

Over the period covered in the report, 13.3 percent of service-sector workers were either members of a union or covered by a union contract at their workplace.

The report analyzed data on workers from the Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS) for the years 2004 through 2007.

Additional state-specific information is available from the following organizations:

FloridaThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., DirectorResearch Institute for Social and Economic Policy Center for Labor Research and Studies Florida International University Miami, FL 33199 305-348-2616 Fax: 305-348-2241